HoloAdvent (A Hololive fanfic) *Completed*

Chapter 17

Under the veil of the night sky, the world transformed into a canvas of obsidian hues. Stars shimmered like distant diamonds as they casted soft glows in the skies. The crackling campfire became our beacon, painting our faces with flickering shadows. Nightfall had been inevitable and so did our bonding time. 

This circle of misfits nestled closer around the crackling campfire. One by one, we'd tell a little story about ourselves amidst the chorus of crickets and rustling leaves in the forest. Confessions echoed, carrying all sorts of volume depending on the individual speaking, about life and death and the weight of fears and dreams. I was never one for confessing things. I sucked at them. It's why I got into business. In this line of work, feelings and the like never really mattered. All there was to this was revenue and connections and maintaining that on a crutch. If it ever fell, then it would either be beyond repair or salvageable. 

The girls seemed intent on sharing personal stories, though it leaned a bit toward self-praise and little sadness due to their powers. Shiori Novella, an avid reader, delved into her life, recounting her tale to the group. While I was familiar with her narrative, I couldn't tell if the other girls had heard it previously. Then Nerissa would share her own, Bijou would follow, and the twins would share their ridiculous experiences around Hell.

Amidst the hush of the night, we shared fragments of our lives, each of them becoming a singular collective experience. Sharing wasn't my strong suit. I hoped that would improve in due time.

"You and Crill were enemies before, Sarah? I never would've imagined seeing as you two are tied together by the hip." Shiori added.

"I couldn't understand him sometimes. He didn't get me either. But when I remember how he wrote his thoughts out on his notebook, I'm back on my feet and know where I stand with him." Sarah waved her hand dismissively. "Nothing about my past is that exciting. I just studied and did my best there. Then I met this idiot and got exposed to the business industry. Here I am, suffering. Hooray."

"Is that really all there is?" Fuwa and Moco get closer to Sarah's lap, their dog ears flapping in contentment as she brushed their hair with her hands.

"My dad left us for another woman. So it was just me and my mom our whole lives. It wasn't any better though since my mom couldn't handle taking care of me alone. I got physically abused for a few months as a result by her when I was young until my uncle found out and took me in."

What. "You told me a lot of things but you never told me that."

"There wasn't any need. I don't have to tell you everything there is to me."

I looked the other way, clicking my tongue. "I would've helped."

"Helped with what?"

"You know... Talk it out with your mother."

"Eh. There's no need." 

"How did you and Crill meet by the way?" Bijou asked.

Sarah pointed to me. "This guy?" She asked as if she didn't want to believe it to be real. "He went inside the coffee shop I was frequenting and left his notebook there. I had to return it to him and one thing led to another."

"If you two hadn't met, you would've never met us. Probably." 

"Yeah, probably."

"What about you, Crill? What do you have on your mind?"

It was now my turn to relay what I experienced in these years of living. The way my family lived, my reaction towards the whole thing, my problems with my dad and my brothers, and how I was doing until now.